Event:	Dark Tranquillity: Where Death Is Most Alive Part II 2010
Written by:	Darkside Momo
Published:	13.10.2010
Galleries:	Dark Tranquillity in Paris, 30 September 2010 by Darkside Momo (21)

It was the first show I attended at the Trabendo, a venue in the Parc de la Villette... And yeah this place is quite strange, with a pit shaped somehow like a parallelepiped; it has different levels, quite a few railings around the edges? But it is also welcoming, being quite new (and as such in good shape), and the fact that it's mostly decorated in wood tones certainly add to the cosiness of the place. Good!

As Mikael Stanne told me, Dark Tranquillity loves playing in Paris, because the crowd here is always great and supportive (as proven on the bonus footage on the Live Damage DVD). Will it be the same this time? I certainly hoped so. And given the numerous fans wearing DT T-shirts, chances were it would be explosive in the pit. Even moreso as it was sold-out.

But first, were the two openers.


Devious Experiment of Synesthesis

Devious Experiment of Synesthesis are a French band coming from Nice (South-East of France), who won a Century Media contest - the prize was to be the opening band of the evening. A great idea, I must say, and it seems it was the same on the whole tour.

How did they sound like? Well, not bad at all, they came across as mostly Gothenburg metal, with a lot of keyboards, and female vocals. The songwriting itself was a bit on the proggy and convoluted side of things, I must say.
Ah, yes, 'female vocals'. I won't enter the clothing subject here Alienor, the singer, sounded quite good for the symphonic stuff, but I think that she clearly lacked some edge on the more aggressive parts - but everyone didn't agree with me, however.
The other members were pretty good, with nice guitar leads, interesting synths parts (but a bit too cheesy-sounding, maybe), and really great drumming. So yes, it was nice, but the musicians themselves were hesitant; indeed, they certainly were intimidated.
A promising band for sure, but they really must get more live experience!

Myspace




Insomnium

They were quite awaited for, no doubt about it. As soon as the band appeared on stage, the cheering was loud enough to prove the Finns had some fans in the crowd!
And guess what, their own brand of Gothenburg metal, with that oh-so-Finnish touch, is really good live. Maybe the songs sounded a bit all the same at first, but this didn't prevent the goodness and headbanging. And so the audience reacted really well, singing, moshing, and stuff, while still keeping some strength for the headliner.
It was quite obvious the musicians were happy, they were smiling, moving - and playing very tighly too.

Good show! Leaving me with the obligation to check their studio work more thoroughly?




Dark Tranquillity

They love France and Paris, I said in the introduction. Well, the feeling is reciprocated - and them some! The crowd was completely nuts within seconds, and didn't let go until the very last notes of "Terminus". No surprise, then, that Mikael Stanne has a huge smile set in his face during the whole show! And course, he crowdsurfed, still singing, no less than three times.

It was also the first time that I saw DT with some videos in the background, courtesy of the band's very own Niklas Sundin. This kind of stuff is all the rage these days, but they fitted nicely with the mood of the songs.
The sound? Ah. Well, I can't really say anything, just that it was relatively good. But, in the pit, it is always difficult to concentrate on that kind of stuff. The joy, the sweat, the tears, the violence, the crowdsurfers, Mikael climbing countless times on the railing to sing closer to the fans, that I remember for sure.

Now, let's address a difficult topic, the setlist (you'll find it if you scroll down just a bit). In all honesty, it was consistent, with a good mix of songs from the last four albums, and a few oldies to spice things up.
But this fanboy can and will always find reasons to rant about. Where are the Skydancer songs? Why has "Inside The Particle Storm" gone missing? And why play "Monochromatic Stains", seeing that "Hours Passed In Exile" is hugely superior? OK, I stop there, it's the end of the useless rant.
More seriously, "One Thought" was a pleasant surprise, the new songs flow seamlessly in the live set - "Shadow In Our Blood" and "Dream Oblivion" can already be considered classics, I guess. And the last-minute change was pure bliss (but see below)?

You'll have understood by now. This show was a pure blast, and smiles lasted for long on the fans' faces?




Setlist:
It originally featured "Zodijackyl Light" between "One Thought" and "Iridium". But they didn't play it, and instead played "Therein" during the encore. And THAT was great, thanks again!






Conclusion:

Feel the awesomeness. Feel the pleasure of a band happy to play, and of an audience going nuts for fun. That's it, that's a Dark Tranquillity show.
Next time, I'll be there too.


Thanks to Valérie for the accreditation, and to Sebastian and Roger for the help and kindness!